The Best Hotels on and Around Hamilton Island for Every Traveller

Hamilton Island is the perfect beach-fringed base for anyone wishing to explore the Great Barrier Reef
Hamilton Island is the perfect beach-fringed base for anyone wishing to explore the Great Barrier Reef | © Richard Glover-VIEW / Alamy Stock Photo
Photo of Alex Allen
Alex Allen
31 December 2020

Join the jet set with a stay on Hamilton Island, the perfect base to explore the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands, in Australia.

Basking 10km (6mi) or so off the Queensland coast, Hamilton Island is the twinkling, beach-fringed luxury base for anyone out to explore the Great Barrier Reef off the Whitsunday Islands archipelago. It’s lush with tropical vegetation, has a glittering marina full of millionaires’ yachts and some of the most luxurious hotels in the country. Want to know the best places to stay? Read on.

Reef View Hotel

Hotel, Luxury
4.2/5 (989 Reviews)
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Courtesy of Reef View Hotel / Expedia
Set on the green hillside overlooking the blue waters of Catseye Bay, there’s more than a touch of Bond glamour to this hotel. You’ll find sleek glass lifts on the outside of the building, a dramatic backdrop of green hillside and a cathedral-sized lobby atrium. By the time you’ve checked in, you’ll be gasping for a vodka martini by the palm-surrounded infinity pool. Rooms , especially those with a sea view, are calmingly pared-back, with elegant tones of navy, white and pebble grey.
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Qualia

Boutique Hotel, Resort, Hotel
4.8/5 (59 Reviews)
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Courtesy of Qualia / Expedia
Occupying its own secluded lobe of island, right at the northern tip, Qualia is a collection of private luxury pavilions for those seeking that true away-from-it-all experience. Which will you choose? A Leeward Pavilion, with a eucalyptus-framed sundeck and either sea or tropical garden views, or a larger Windward Pavilion, with guaranteed water views, vast sundeck and private infinity plunge pool? A blow-the-budget stay in the Beach House gets you a 12m (39ft) infinity pool, lashings of decking and two sea-facing bedrooms with king-size beds. Whichever you go for, it’ll be luxury all the way.
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Palm Bungalows

Lodge
4.5/5 (358 Reviews)
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Courtesy of Palm Bungalows / Expedia
You won’t get sea views here, but don’t let that put you off. These one-bedroom beachy bungalows are great value, with their high, whitewashed timber ceilings, covered decks and minimal-chic kitchenettes. Polished russet-wood floors, black-rattan armchairs and grey and white soft furnishings conjure calming Scandi vibes, while the hammock on the balcony is a fun reminder that you’re on island time now. Settle in and switch off, relaxed in the knowledge this option won’t break the bank.
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Yacht Club Villa 33

Villa
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Courtesy of Yacht Club Villa 33-Serenity / Expedia
If you’re mad about the yachting life, you’ll love this four-bedroom villa overlooking the marina, even though you’re on dry land. With its tinted window panes and chrome-and-wood trims, as well as its tongue-and-groove panelling, there’s no mistaking the maritime design inspiration here. Which is not to detract from its architectural credentials: it ticks all the contemporary-luxury boxes you’d expect for accommodation with this sort of price tag. The best bit? You’ll get two electric buggies so you can explore on your own time.
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    • Hamilton Island Holiday Homes

    Serviced Apartment
    4.1/5 (31 Reviews)
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    Courtesy of Hamilton Island Holiday Homes / Expedia
    From compact, hidden-away apartments for two, to sprawling, spare-no-expense villas sleeping up to 14, whatever kind of self-catering accommodation you’re looking for on Hamilton Island, you’ll find it here. Take Casuarina Cove 4, a four-bedroom apartment, all crisp white walls and marine colour palette, overlooking the sleek yachts and stunning Bommie restaurant of the marina. Or how about Frangipani 108, which sleeps five people, with views of Catseye Bay? The island’s your oyster.
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    Beach Club

    Boutique Hotel
    4.8/5 (236 Reviews)
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    Courtesy of Beach Club / Expedia

    If you want to leave your Instagram followers green with envy, then head to the Beach Club. Its blond wood furniture and calming colour palette echo the setting perfectly. The communal lounge and bar exceed expectations. Looking like something from the cover of an interior design magazine, this hotel is a collage of artsy pieces – soft-leather reading chairs, a bubbling water feature and that just-so arrangement of objets – in an open-plan, light-filled space. Are you ready for your close-up?

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    Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat

    Serviced Apartment
    4.1/5 (177 Reviews)
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    Courtesy of at Waterfront Whitsunday Retreat / Expedia
    It might be off-island, in the closest mainland town of Airlie Beach, but it’s only about an hour away from Hamilton Island by ferry. This boutique collection of five one-bedroom balcony spa suites (plus a top-floor jacuzzi penthouse for the high rollers) is the dream deal for those who want to split their time between cruising the Whitsundays, experiencing the magic of the Great Barrier Reef and taking in the lush rainforest of nearby Dryander and Conway National Parks.
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    Blue Horizon Resort Apartments

    Hotel
    4.2/5 (189 Reviews)
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    Courtesy of Blue Horizon Resort Apartments / Expedia
    Also in the mainland town of Airlie Beach, rather than on Hamilton Island itself, this stack of luxury apartments is well set up for families. With a play room and a wading pool tailor-made for toddlers, you can take a break from I-Spy just long enough to get some shut-eye in the sun. Rooms are big and bright, with a Balinese twist in the decor – we’re talking dark-wood console tables, rattan-style lounge chairs and little tealight lanterns in the bathroom.
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    These recommendations were updated on December 31, 2020 to keep your travel plans fresh.
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